title: Nasal septal surgery as an out-patient procedure.
abstract: Sixty consecutive patients (48 males, 12 females; age range 16 to 57, mean age 35 years) underwent nasal septal surgery at our out-patient department for symptoms of nasal obstruction. The operations were performed under local anaesthesia supplemented with 2.5-5 mg intravenous midazolam. Only one surgeon and one nurse were needed for the procedure. The total time spent at the hospital averaged three hours. The preliminary short-term results of surgery are comparable to those at our day-care unit. The complication rate was negligible. Ninety-five per cent of these patients regarded the arrangements for their operation as safe. Our results show that nasal septal surgery can be performed with good cost-effectiveness, satisfactory quality and with good safety and patient satisfaction as an out-patient procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital of Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nieminen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silvola
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aust
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Stenfors
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000601:surgery*; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000601:surgery*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome